The present invention relates to the field of air conditioning systems. More specifically, the present invention relates to a condenser for an air conditioning system in a motor vehicle having a nondetachably coupled receiver.
In a conventional vapor compression system, vapor refrigerant is compressed in the compressor, where its temperature is raised above the temperature of the cooling medium used at the condenser. A mixture of vapor and liquid refrigerant then enters the condenser where heat is extracted, and the refrigerant changes to a liquid. The liquid refrigerant then enters the thermal expansion valve, which controls the quantity of liquid refrigerant passing to the evaporator coils. Finally, the liquid refrigerant enters the evaporator and evaporates. Heat from the ambient atmosphere, for example, in a vehicle passenger compartment, is rejected to the refrigerant in the evaporator where it is absorbed as the latent heat of vaporization as the refrigerant evaporates. The now vaporized refrigerant is then directed to the compressor to be recycled through the system.
Some vapor compression systems include a receiver dryer which is intended to perform some or all of the following functions: filtration and/or dehydration of the refrigerant, compensation for variations in its volume, and separation of the vapor and liquid phases of the refrigerant. Typically, an inlet pipe is coupled between an upstream section of the condenser and an inlet aperture of the receiver for carrying the vapor and liquid phases of the refrigerant to the receiver dryer. An outlet pipe is coupled between an outlet aperture of the receiver and a downstream section of the condenser header for returning the liquid phase of the refrigerant to the downstream section. Interposing the receiver dryer between upstream and downstream sections of the condenser ensures the fluid in the downstream section circulates only in the liquid state. The downstream section, or sub-cooler section, of the condenser sub-cools the liquid refrigerant to a point below the temperature at which the liquid changes to a gas. The sub-cooled liquid phase refrigerant quality is low and its enthalpy is also low which increases the evaporator""s ability to absorb heat as the refrigerant evaporates, thus improving the efficiency of the vapor compression system.
Condenser systems used in vehicle air conditioning systems are typically manufactured by first assembling brazing clad condenser components together, then passing the assembled components through a brazing furnace to braze, or fuse, the components together. Typically, one or more brackets and fasteners are used to mount the receiver dryer, inlet pipe, and outlet pipe to a header of the condenser. The bracket or brackets may be first bolted or tack welded to the header prior to the brazing process. Bolting and tack welding prior to brazing is typically performed manually, thus resulting in undesirable labor costs for the manufacturing process.
Prior art receiver dryer systems require a portion of the receiver dryer to be removable for installation of the desiccant and/or filter after the condenser is brazed. After the desiccant and/or filter is installed in the receiver dryer, the receiver can then be permanently closed by welding a cap on one end. Alternatively, additional fasteners can be used for post-brazing assembly, as well as o-rings for sealing the receiver dryer.
Like the bolting and tack welding performed prior to brazing, post-brazing assembly is typically performed manually, thus resulting in undesirably high labor costs. In addition, a high number of discrete components increases the likelihood that the condenser system may be mis-assembled, and increases the potential for damaging the condenser system and/or receiver dryer during post-braze assembly. Moreover, for those designs that require the sealing of refrigerant by using fasteners and o-ring type seals, the possibility exists for leakage of refrigerant through the o-ring sealed joints. Thus, what is needed is a condenser system having a receiver securely and nondetachably coupled to a condenser header.
Accordingly, it is an advantage of the present invention that a condenser system is provided having a nondetachably coupled receiver.
It is another advantage of the present invention that the condenser system, having the nondetachably coupled receiver, is manufactured using a one-shot brazing process.
Another advantage of the present invention is that a condenser system, having a nondetachably coupled receiver, is provided that requires no post-braze assembly.
Yet another advantage of the present invention is that a condenser system having a nondetachably coupled receiver is provided that allows for quick modifications of its function by selectively including components for dehydrating and/or filtering refrigerant.
The above and other advantages of the present invention are carried out in one form by a condenser system that includes two spaced apart headers and a plurality of parallel tubes extending between the headers for passing refrigerant between the headers. A receiver is in fluid communication with one of the spaced apart headers. The receiver includes a body having first and second ends, a first cap coupled to the body at the first end and having a first saddle portion affixed to the one of the spaced apart headers, and a second cap coupled to the body at the second end.
The above and other advantages of the present invention are carried out in another form by a condenser system that includes two spaced apart headers and a plurality of parallel tubes extending between the headers for passing refrigerant between the headers. A receiver is in fluid communication with one of the spaced apart headers. The receiver includes a body having first and second ends. A first cap is nondetachably coupled to the first end of said body using a one-shot brazing process. The first cap has a first saddle portion nondetachably coupled to one of the spaced apart headers using the one-shot brazing process. A second cap is nondetachably coupled to the second end of the body using the one-shot brazing process. The second cap has a second saddle portion nondetachably coupled to the one spaced apart header using the one-shot brazing process.